ENHANCED 2-DIMENSIONAL GROWTH OF GAAS ON INP BY MOLECULAR-BEAM EPITAXY WITH ATOMIC-HYDROGEN IRRADIATION

Growth modes and lattice relaxation processes in the heteroepitaxial g rowth of GaAs films on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with atomic hydrogen irradiation have been investigated for different growth temperatures. We have found that atomic hydrogen delays the ons et of Island growth and lattice relaxation at a substrate temperature of 350-degrees-C because of the presence and interaction of hydrogen a toms with incoming atoms on the surface at this temperature range. At 450-degrees-C, no significant differences in the lattice relaxation pr ocess between the MBE growth with and without the atomic hydrogen irra diation were observed. This change in the growth mode is believed to b e an important factor which affects the mechanism of strain relaxation .